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Vale of Glamorgan is at the coastal belt of Glamorgan in Wales, United Kingdom. "The Vale" is bounded generally by Cardiff to the East, Bridgend to the West, the M4 to the North and the Bristol Channel to the South. The rolling green countryside on the South Wales coast between the capital city of Cardiff and Bridgend is the beautiful Vale of Glamorgan. It is served by four towns, the seaside resort of Barry, fashionable Cowbridge with sophisticated shops, restaurants and cafes, historic Llantwit Major and elegant Victorian and Edwardian Penarth complete with pier as well as a handful of pretty villages including Gileston all crowned by 14 miles of glorious Glamorgan Heritage Coast. Fresh green countryside with rural and coastal beauty spots, endless breathtaking vistas, joyous walking, excellent local produce and country pubs as well as the excitement and facilities of Cardiff, a thriving waterside city.

Towns

Understand

The Vale of Glamorgan can also be called South Glamorgan. South Glamorgan was the previous name for this county (and Cardiff). At just over 130 kilometers squared, the Vale of Glamorgan is a very small county. The Vale of Glamorgan holds the most southerly point in Wales (near Rhoose) and lies just below the Valleys of the Rhondda Cynon Taff, just West of Cardiff.

Heritage Coast

The Coastline in the Western Vale is a piece of "Heritage Coast", protected for it's natural beauty and historical importance to the area. The Heritage Coast Centre can be found at Southerndown.


Talk

Get in

By car

The M4 motorway comes from London via Bristol, and goes to Carmarthen. For the Vale of Glamorgan, you can use Junction 33 for Cardiff or Junction 35 for Bridgend. The A48 runs through the centre of the Vale from Cardiff to Bridgend.

From Cardiff:

  • The A48 goes through the middle of the Vale of Glamorgan, past Cowbridge to the Western Vale
  • The A4045 goes towards Barry

From Bridgend:

From the Rhondda Cynon Taff:

By plane

Cardiff Airport (CWL IATA) is situated near Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan. There are both International and Domestic flights from Cardiff Airport.

By train

Arrival Trains Wales operate services on the Vale of Glamorgan lines. Trains towards Penarth, Barry Island (via Dinas Powys & Barry) and Bridgend (via Barry, Cardiff Airport & Llantwit Major) are available from Cardiff Central. Trains to other UK destinations are available from the close by Cardiff Central Station and Bridgend railway station.

By bus

National Express run buses to Cardiff, from which there are service buses into the Vale. National Express also stops in Bridgend. These services are usually from Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport and London Centre, usually destined for Swansea or Llanelli.

Get around

The best way to get around the 'Vale' is by car. The quiet villages have small country lanes, which means arranging public transport can be difficult. You can get round a larger part of the Vale with the car, but there are some more options:

By bus

By train

Arriva Trains Wales operate services in the Vale of Glamorgan. There are stations at:

To find train times, you can use National Rail Enquiries [1]

See

  • Barry - Barry is the filming location and setting of the BBC Comedy, Gavin and Stacey. James Corden and Ruth James aren't the only celebs to have been filmed there. The late Elizabeth Sladen and the rest of the crew from Russel T. Davis' "Sarah-Jane Adventures" have also appeared in Barry. Many scenes from "Doctor Who" have also been filmed in Barry too. One of the most frequently seen places in Barry is Whitmore Bay, a long beach popular with local surfers in the summer, and all year round, those seeking entertainment in the Pavilion. Behind the pavilion, Barry Island can be found, home to the well-renowned but small Theme Park. Barry Island is a popular resort, with visitors of all kind, from thrill-seekers to hikers to surfers or just someone who wants a nice breakfast from a good-old greasy caf (although fine dining can be found along the promenade). Barry Town centre has little to it but some local, independent shops and restaurants.
  • Dinosaur footprints - Barry also has another surprise! Dinosaur footprints can be seen on a rocky beach just round the corner from Whitmore Bay. A line of three-toed footprints can be found running from under the sea up to the fallen, mud-based cliff. The footprints are visible in a line, and are fossilized in the mud and clay-based red coloured rock.

The Bendricks can be found just East of Barry by following signs to "HMS Cambria", and following a road round to a small industrial estate.

Do

Walking

There are some good walks in the Vale, many from the Valeways [2] Scheme. As a county situated on the coast, the Wales Coastal Path [3] runs the full length of the Glamorgan Coast, from Cardiff to Bridgend. The route then continues around Wales as a long-distance path. There is another long-distance trail in the Vale of Glamorgan, the 69 mile long Valeways Millennium Heritage Trail. This path goes to many destinations in the Vale, including Southerndown, Cowbridge, Rhoose, Barry, Cardiff, Llanharry and Colwinston. The trail runs in a circle, and is made up of mainly Bridleways. Most of its destinations are covered in this Wikivoyage article! It takes you from the sea, to near-sky heights, with some fabulous views across the Vale

Surfing

Although not the most popular surfing resort in Wales, the Vale of Glamorgan hosts some great waves.

Southerndown

Situated on the Bristol Channel, Southerndown becomes very popular in the height of summer when the sun is out. Even when it's raining, it's still pretty busy. A sandy, RNLI Lifeguarded beach with loads of space, makes Southerndown a great place to spend time on the beach and surf on the waves on the flooding tides. Southerndown is situated on the Glamorgan Heritage Coast. Other facilities on or near the beach also include public toilets and a shop.

Ogmore-By-Sea

Further West than Southerndown, is Ogmore-By-Sea, also known simply as Ogmore. Although not as popular as Southerndown, and with fewer facilities, Ogmore does sometimes have surfers, especially East of the Beach. The mouth of the river Ogmore is on this beach, although entering the water is not advised at this point

Llantwit Major

The town of Llantwit Major has an RNLI Lifeguarded beach. Sometimes popular with surfers

Eat

Drink

Stay safe

Go next

  • Bridgend - Just along the A48, Bridgend is home to many shops & two castles
  • Bristol - Just over an hour away is Bristol, the bustling Port on the River Avon
  • Caerphilly - Home of Caerphilly Cheese and well-known Caerphilly Castle
  • Cardiff - Capital City of Wales. Cardiff is right next door!
  • Newport
  • Penarth - Cardiff isn't far away. A pier and marina, along with a busy town centre
  • Porthcawl - On the Glamorgan Heritage Coast is Porthcawl.
  • Swansea - Another city renowned for it's spectacular Waterfront
This region travel guide to Vale of Glamorgan is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!
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